Experiment 7721: Lelouch
by LucifernSatan
Summary: Suzaku wasn't sure what he was getting himself into promising to take care of the boy.  He just knew that he'd do all he could to teach Lelouch to be human again.
1. Chapter 1

Warning: This is going to be a suzululu story, meaning yaoi. If you're not into that sort of thing please don't read.

Disclaimer: Nothing too terrible yet. There will be abuse, experimentation, some bad language.

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_**Prologue – Wayward Child**_

Darkness had fallen some time ago, a harsh wind whistling through the dense brush when tired eyes finally spotted a softly glowing light through the trees. It was late, far past the young child's bed time but a hungry tummy and frozen body pushed the youth onward.

Stumbling slightly on over grown roots, wind stinging any exposed skin for the child wasn't dressed for the time of night it was. Dried tear tracks still marked the flawless cheeks; it had been midday when the small child was left to survive alone.

0o0o0

At the source of the light was a man dressed in a white coat, heading for a moderate sized building on the far edge of the Tokyo Settlement. In his free hand was a covered cage as well as a large brown sack, which was neither full nor was it empty. He continued briskly down a well worn path, unaware that anyone had noticed his presence.

The snapping of twigs and rustling of bushes, turned dark eyes on the forest to the man's left. A few moments of silence later had him believing it had only been a wild animal but another shift in the foliage, a cry that sounded human and the forest released a small boy, landing at the elder's feet.

The man stared a while longer before placing his items on the ground and dropping to one knee, "What are you doing out here, boy?" His deep voice rumbled in his chest with a chuckle when the boy started, head jerking up toward the sound.

Dark colored eyes watched as the youth brushed matted ebony bangs from his face, "Thank goodness. I wasn't sure I was ever going to get out of that forest." Bright amethyst pools stared back, obvious relief in both his eyes and features.

"Where are your parents? Lost are you, boy?"

The youth's face fell into a scowl, shining orbs narrowed to slits, "Don't call me boy! My name is Lelouch vi Britannia and I'm not lost!"

Another chuckle vibrated within the elder's chest, "A Britannian huh? If you're not lost, what are you doing way out here then? The ghettos are just on the far side of this forest. Aren't your parents looking for you?"

The scowl deepened, "My father left me out here said he didn't need a motherless child." Lelouch sniffed once, voice cracking at the end. A small hand lifted to wipe the forming tears from his eyes.

"An orphan… hmm…" The man muttered, getting to his feet, "If you have nowhere to go follow me. I can give you food to eat and a roof over your head for the night." He didn't wait for the child's answer as he scooped up his belongings and began down the path again.

Lelouch hesitated only on the fact that his mother had taught him to never go with strangers but now he had no family, no home or food and this person was offering at least food and shelter to him. His stomach rumbled loudly, practically deciding for the boy as he hurried after the man, his billowing white coat all that lavender eyes could still see in the dark.

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Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)

This is my first Code Geass story and I'd love to know what you thought of it, whether it's worth continuing or not. Any comments or criticism is greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter One – First Meeting**_

"We attack on my mark."

The radio buzzed with static before coming to life, "Yes, My Lord." The many voices echoed at once.

The brunette sighed from within the cockpit of his Knightmare, a hand moving to rub the bridge of his nose. He didn't see why an Eleven lab was anything the Britannians needed to worry about. What were these scientists researching that was so important anyway?

He was brought out of his thoughts with a lone beep from his monitor, signaling it was time. Reaching out, he flipped a switch, the static clearing from his radio, "Attention, ground forces will attack in waves. Squadron B will take point. Scientists, research and specimens are to be unharmed. Weapons are not to be fired unless target is armed. The Mordred, the Tristan and the Lancelot have the perimeter, nothing leaves the facility."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Squadron B, advance." Just as the radio cut out, the monitor on his right flickered to life, revealing a blonde with a cocky smile, "What is it, Gino?"

"Is all this really necessary? Do they need three Knights of the Round plus ground troops to take out a small enemy lab? Is whatever they're researching in there really _that_ important?"

Suzaku heaved another sigh, "I have no idea but these orders came straight from His Highness, the Prince." Pressing a button off to the side, a second monitor flashed, a young pink haired girl sat looking bored on the other side, "Anya, stay in the Mordred. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Gino and I are going to walk the perimeter."

"Understood." Even as the words were spoken and the screen went black, Suzaku could hear the blonde's voice from the other monitor.

"We are?"

"Get out of the Knightmare, Gino."

"Yeah, yeah… you really-" The brunette closed the channel, rolling his vivid emerald eyes as he shut down his own Knightmare, the Lancelot, plucking the key from its slot and listening to the hatch hiss open while his chair slid him free.

Now on the ground, Suzaku watched as the Knight of Three came bounding toward him and once in range, draped an arm around the brunette's shoulders, "Hey Suzaku." Gino spoke cheerfully.

With a fresh sigh and roll of the eyes, the Knight of Seven shrugged the arm from his shoulder, "We're on duty Gino, you should be a little more professional."

"And you really need to relax. You know what will help? A pet."

"I already have a pet. Remember Arthur, my cat."

"I was thinking more along the lines of a dog. You really need a pet dog." Gino continued as if he was never spoken to in the first place, his arm returning to its position around Suzaku's neck.

"I'm a Knight of the Round, Gino. When exactly will I have time to care for a dog?" The question was waved off by the hand dangling from his shoulder. With a huff, the green eyed male picked up his pace causing the arm to fall from his body and the blonde to stop moving his mouth and start moving his legs.

0o0o0

The ground troops took control of the lab with little resistance. The scientists had guns but were quickly disarmed with only a few minor injuries to both sides. After the short fire fight, all Elevens were taken into custody and removed from the lab. That left the soldiers to sort through the rooms, matching the numbers on each specimen to their files before transporting them from the building, being careful not to break the ones encased in glass.

Squadron B's Captain Waye scanned the room, keeping a close eye on the rest of the men as they worked tediously through the mountain of folders. Not feeling the need to help as he passed through the main lab and down a small hallway, turning left and entering what appeared to be the operating room. Brown orbs looked around in disgust; it was obvious to all that the room hadn't been cleaned in quite a long time. Blood was everywhere, caked on the walls and dried pools under the metal table in the center of the room. A tray of tools sat beside the table and a glance at the instruments showed that they were far from being sterile. The Britannian soldier was convinced that cleanliness wasn't their top priority, leaving him to wonder about the accuracy of their research.

"Captain!"

Pulled from his musing, Waye turned to face the soldier that had stopped in the doorway, "Is there a problem?"

"Captain Sir, you need to come see this." The soldier was young and seemed anxious, urgency in his voice.

A nod was the response before the young man headed back the way he came with his superior following closely. Instead of retracing their steps back to the main part of the lab, Waye was lead further down the corridor and into a small room at the end of the hall. A quick survey of his surroundings found the room to be empty with the exception of a pile of blankets in the far corner. A thick chain was hanging from the wall above the heap and as the elder of the two moved to take a closer look, he realized the blankets were trembling slightly. At first he thought it to be a scientist trying to hide from the military but the lump was too small to be a grown man, also that wouldn't explain the chain, meaning someone or something else was trying to avoid capture. Taking a few long strides brought the Captain right to the edge of the mound, a deep breath and in one swift movement, ripped the blanket off whatever was shivering.

A teenage boy? He was dragged here for a child? He glanced back at the soldier standing by the entrance, looking very relieved to know what was buried in the pile. Waye's dark eyes rolled slightly as he turned his attention back to the boy. He was curled into a ball, facing the wall; a bit of short black hair was all one could see of his head. The chain hanging from the wall was indeed connected to the teen through a large shackle around his neck. As far as the Captain could tell he was wearing nothing but an oversized cement grey shirt, draping down to mid-thigh, no shoes covered his feet and it didn't look like the boy had been out of the lab in years, his skin an almost ghostly white. The only odd thing he noticed was something black coiled around the boy's thigh.

After taking another moment to observe the youth, Waye hunched over, grabbing a hold of the dark locks and yanking the teen into a kneeling position. A startled gasp was heard over the hiss of pain and the Captain couldn't stop his eyes from widening at the sight. On the side of the boy's head, where human ears should have been were a pair of furry, pointed, black cat ears.

"What the hell is this?" Waye yelled gazing at the shocked soldier, who had backed himself into the doorway.

"I-I don't know Sir. We waited for you to remove the blanket Sir."

The brown eyed man gave a grunt of distaste, attention back on the boy, "Explain yourself. Did those scientists do this to you?" His disgust was barely kept in check though his anger could be felt through the demanding tone. When the boy refused to speak or even acknowledge his presence, the hand that wasn't fisted in the other's hair, reached out and took him by the chin, forcing pools of slit lavender to focus on him.

Even before the Captain could repeat himself, he was snatching his hand to his chest, just narrowly avoiding the razor sharp teeth that tried to puncture his flesh. Growling lowly, Waye let the back of his hand connect harshly with a pale cheek before throwing him to the floor. The elder got to his feet, unhooking the chain from the wall and holding it tightly with both hands, jerked the teen forward.

"Get up, freak." Was the command as he yanked again, causing the one on the other end to hit the floor hard. Waye didn't wait as he began to drag the boy across the room. The young soldier practically ran down the hall as his superior made his way toward him.

By the time Squadron B's captain reached the main room, every soldier there had been told of the creature held in the back of the lab. Waye chuckled a bit as he listened to the whispers going on between the men, making him out to be some sort of invincible man who wrestled monsters, though he wasn't about to correct them. Coffee brown orbs peered over his shoulder, revealing that the freak of a child had managed to get to his feet but a firm tug on the chain had him stumbling to his knees.

After making his way through the sliding doors leading outside, Captain Waye took a refreshing breath unable to stand the putrid smell of the lab. He turned to face what he now assumed was a specimen and gave a violent jerk on the chain, sending the dark haired boy roughly to the ground, laughing as his boot connected with the male's exposed abdomen. A gasp of pain left the younger's lips as he began struggling for breath.

A group of soldiers slowly gathered around the two. More whispering was heard through the growing crowd before someone shouted, "Way to go Captain! Show that freak whose boss!" Cheers went up as Waye crouched down over the teen; fisting his hand deep into black tresses and pulling harshly, lifted the boy's head so his face was visible. The Squadron leader couldn't make out any of the comments directed at the other but the words 'freak' and 'creature' were most popular. A broad smile crossed his lips as the jeers continued.

0o0o0

Somehow Suzaku had managed to drag Gino around the entire perimeter without losing it on the blonde. The nonstop talk was really starting to get to him, telling the other multiply times to shut up and focus on their job. But despite the many attempts, Gino refused to listen and was now on the brunette's last nerve. If it hadn't been for the commotion just around the last corner, Suzaku was sure he would have beaten his fellow Knight of the Round to a bloody pulp.

Suzaku stopped abruptly when he saw the large crowd of Britannian soldiers, a frown darkening his features as he realized it wasn't an attack of some sort. Both Knights made their way into the group, a hush falling on the soldiers that were pushed aside and by the time they made it to the center of the mass of bodies, the silence was deafening.

Captain Waye jumped to his feet, bowing slightly in respect. The boy on the ground beside him inched himself as far away as the chain would allow, curling back into a ball. Jade eyes watched the one on the ground before redirecting their focus.

"What is the meaning of this Captain?" His tone was calm despite the anger growing in him.

"Sir Kururugi, Sir Weinberg, this specimen tried to attack us and force was neces-"

"Bullshit." Waye flinched, bowing a little deeper. Suzaku glared as he violently removed the chain from the man's hand.

Gino nodded from his position off to the side, "It is hard to believe that he," The blonde gestured to the curled form, "would try to attack anything, let alone a soldier. He's just a boy after all."

"But My Lord, he's a specimen, a freak of nature those scientists created."

Gino only shook his head as he saw Suzaku's hands fist angrily, "Enough! I don't care what they did to him, he's still human! Now all of you get back to work!" The crowd was gone in an instant, leaving both Knights and the Captain alone, "The order was all specimens were to be unharmed, what part of that didn't you understand?"

"But I-I…"

The blonde moved to his fellow Knight's side, placing a calming hand on his shoulder, "Get back to work, Captain. Your lack of control is going on your record, just be thankful that we don't report this to His Highness." The man bowed, thanking them profusely before taking off toward the building.

"Why did you do that Gino? That bastard deserved much worse," Suzaku glanced from Gino to the cowering form still on the ground before dropping to one knee, "I mean look at him, he's terrified."

The brunette slowly reached a hand out, gently laying it on the other's back. The boy flinched violently, whipping his head around, looking ready to defend himself. A thin trail of blood dribbled from his lip, gathering in the dip of his chin before falling like a tear to the ground. Suzaku's shock at finding a split lip and growing bruise on the male's cheek paling in comparison to what else he saw, but well… cat ears on a human will do that, before finally twisting his hand palm up then holding it back out. Dark violet eyes observed the hand and for a moment neither moved. The tanned hand then began to inch closer, painfully slow at first but when the other didn't attempt anything, he continued a little faster. Suzaku finally reached the teen's head, weaving his fingers through the dark colored locks. The strands of hair were dirty and greasy, obviously not having been washed in some time but he trekked around until his fingers met soft fur, brushing them all the way to the tip. Green eyes widened when the head tilted into his touch and unable to find it within himself to deny the boy this simple gesture, ran his fingers down to the base of the ear, digging them gently into the velvety fur, just as he would do for his own cat. Suzaku could feel it in his hand before the sound reached his ears and he smiled slightly at the knowledge.

It took Gino a while before he realized the noise was coming from the unknown teen, "Is he… purring?"

Chocolate curls bounced with the nod, "Yup. I think he likes it."

The small smile fell when emerald orbs noticed the blood trickling down from under the shackle. He hadn't thought to get a good look at the boy until now. The end of the chain was left in a pile on the ground between them with the heavy looking metal band digging into his neck. His only piece of clothing seemed to be the large t-shirt hanging loosely over his body, a pale shoulder sticking out of the collar. The light colored skin was marred with gashes from the obvious mistreatment; almost every exposed spot was at least an irritated red if not bleeding. The dark haired boy sat with his butt on the ground, legs bent at the knee and pressed together so shins touched thighs. Two pale hands placed on the ground between his legs, supported his torso as he leaned into the touch. A long furry black tail poked out from under the shirt and wrapped across his thighs, the tip flicking back and forth. The boy's eyes were closed as he rubbed the side of his head against the fingers scratching behind his ear.

While keeping his fingers buried in the dark fur, the other hand moved up to the lock of the shackle and eyed it a moment before glancing over to his blonde friend, "Hey Gino, find something to get this thing off his neck."

"I'm on it!" He grinned brightly, taking off towards his Knightmare.

"Bring a med pack too!" Suzaku called receiving a thumbs up in reply. In the silence that followed, the brunette realized that he was alone with the boy and maybe now would be a good time to try and get some information, "I'm sorry if that man hurt you, it wasn't our intention. My name is Suzaku Kururugi, by the way. What's yours?"

Violet spheres regarded him curiously, head tilting slightly in the opposite direction of the petting. Vivid jade stared back, waiting and after a few seconds grew confused. Did he not understand? This boy could talk right?

Pointing a finger to his chest, he tried again, "My name is Suzaku. Su-za-ku. Do you understand?"

The young male blinked twice, brows furrowing as a look of concentration crossed his features. There seemed to be a brief inner struggle with lips moving but nothing coming out before pools of amethyst brightened, lighting up his whole face and a single word escaping.

At first the brunette didn't get it, an intelligent, "Huh?" being his only response.

The ebony haired teen just smiled, repeating the word like a mantra, "Ku… Ku… Ku, Ku, Ku, Ku, Ku!"

Suzaku mirrored the boy's expression, understanding dawning on him but it faded quickly as other thoughts entered his mind. _Was this the extent of his speaking ability? Could he not process the human language properly? What in the world did those people do to him?_ His mind raced as more questions flooded in; leaving no room for the answers he was looking for.

While lost in thought, the hand that was supposed to be scratching slowed to a stop and dropped from its position behind the other's ear. Whimpers left the violet eyed boy's mouth at the loss and shifting closer, reached out, scooping up the hand and then nuzzled it against his own cheek. The Knight of Seven jumped, a dark blush racing over a tan nose as wide green spheres stared.

Gino decided to return at that moment, observing in utter glee, the sight of coloring on the other's cheeks. He did well to stifle the laughter bubbling up before clearing his throat, blue eyes watched as Suzaku nearly leapt to his feet, startling the boy next to him. The blonde sniggered, earning a glare from the other Knight. He forced his giggles back as he dropped down next to the two on the ground, "I brought the stuff. The only things I could find for that collar was a blow torch and this," He held out what looked to be a lock pick kit, "I can pick the lock if you want, real easy actually." Gino grinned, reaching out to grab the lock securing the shackle around the teen's neck but stumbled back as sharp little teeth attempted to latch onto his arm.

"It might be better if I did that," The brunette offered, holding his hand out for the necessary tools which he received immediately. The blue eyed nobleman nodded as Suzaku quickly set to work. He had never picked a lock before but it didn't take long until he had the hang of it and with a click, popped the lock open, "There." He swiftly removed the shackle, dropping it between himself and Gino, who picked it up curiously.

Suzaku looked the wounds over, gauging the severity of them and breathed in relief when he saw that they weren't as bad as they could be. Once the shackle was gone, pale hands immediately wrapped around the freed neck, rubbing tenderly at the darkly bruised skin. The only cuts were where neck met shoulder and they were recent, meaning the Captain was the one to cause the bleeding. The brunette growled slightly at the thought before noticing the boy was trying to use his hands and tongue to clean his wounds.

Suzaku gently moved the hands to the other's lap, "Here, let me clean those properly." He smiled softly, flipping the lid open on the med pack. Taking out a white cloth and the disinfectant, he sprayed a liberal amount over the fabric then dabbed it on each cut. The ebony haired teen hissed in pain as he tried to squirm away. With a quiet voice, the Knight of Seven kept the other calm long enough to place bandages over the deeper ones.

Suzaku was about to open his mouth to speak when his arm was smacked and the so called collar shoved under his nose, "Hey, check this out." Gino, who had been unusually quiet for the whole process so far, said loudly. The green eyed male glanced down at the offending piece of metal, spotting a small tag attached just behind where the lock was. Before he could read what the tag said, the shackle was pulled away.

"It's a number, probably his file," The blonde had leapt up and was already heading for the entrance of the lab, "You stay there. I'll find his file." With a final wave, he was out of sight.

It didn't take long before Gino returned, a folder held open in his hands and a disturbed look on his face. He dropped down beside the brunette, legs crossed and blue spheres scanning the paper, "Man, I knew I hated doctors for a reason. They're twisted people."

"Give me that." Suzaku yanked the file out of the other's hand, flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. Curious lavender pools watched from across the way and leaning forward slightly, he sniffed at the worn papers as the brown haired male 'hmmed' lightly, lifting his eyes to meet those of violet, allowing a tiny smile to cross his features, "Lelouch… It says your name is Lelouch."

A sound of approval, almost a meow, left the boy's throat and for some reason caused one Gino Weinberg to laugh, "Well at least he knows his name!" Suzaku could only frown, though it went unnoticed as the blonde continued to talk, "So what do you plan to do with him now? He is considered a specimen. Are you going to hand him over to the recovery team?"

At that thought, chocolate brows furrowed deeper, "No. I'll talk to Prince Schneizel. I'll make sure he won't be subjected to any more research."

"If he's not going to the lab then where _is_ he going?"

"Umm…" Suzaku paused, where was Lelouch going to go? Who other than a scientist would want to be anywhere near him? "I guess…" He glanced up, vivid jade met pleading amethyst and his mind was made up, "I'll take him home with me."

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Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review. It makes me smile, knowing people like my story. And so, chapter one... I hope it's not too bad, I can't write fight scenes especially when you add in giant robots, explaining the rushed crappiness.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and any comments are thoroughly loved :)


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Two – Past vs. Present**_

_Lelouch rushed through the large sliding doors as a blast of warm air hit him, small hands coming up to rub the goose bumps from his upper arms. Violet orbs went wide as they scanned the interior; never would the boy have guessed that the man who had saved him was a scientist. More men in white lab coats busied themselves along the many long tables strewn about the main room. The ebony haired youth followed behind as the dark eyed man placed his belongings on the nearest table, amongst the test tubes and beakers already there. Lelouch stopped, staring at the covered cage with interest, curious to know what was being hidden. As if he'd been heard, the cage shifted and a small black paw reached out from under the fabric. Amethyst pools brightened with fascination, a slim arm already extending toward the cage._

_A large hand grabbed his wrist before Lelouch could get very far, "I wouldn't if I were you boy. It's a feral beast," The younger could only stare as he pulled out of the man's grip, "My name is Dr. Hyogo, you'll do well to remember it. Come, you may rest in the back room."_

_Lelouch was led deeper into the building, passing by closed doors until they reached an open one at the end of the hall. The dark haired boy ventured in first, violet eyes taking everything in. They narrowed almost instantly at the lack of anything in the room and he turned just in time to see the devious grin plastered on the doctor's face. The door was then slammed shut with a loud clang, the lock sliding into place right after._

_Pulled from his shock, Lelouch charged the door, his small fists pounding at the thick metal, "Hey! What are you doing? Let me out!"_

_Even through the solid door, he could hear chuckling, "Don't worry boy, I'll make sure you earn your keep." With that he left, footsteps echoing off the walls._

"_Stop! Come back! Don't leave me in here!" He continued to slam against the bulky steel until his body was exhausted. Crossing the tiny cell like room, Lelouch collapsed to the floor, sliding his back down the far wall. Tears leaked from lavender spheres as the boy buried his face in his knees, and slowly but surely cried himself to sleep._

0o0o0_  
_

"… And where is he now?"

"Asleep in the bedroom, My Lord."

"I see. I think it would be best if the boy was returned to the recovery team. The scientists will take excellent care of him."

Emerald eyes widened slightly, "No, you can't-" Suzaku snapped his mouth shut before he could finish.

A light chuckling was heard through the monitor, "And why ever not?"

The Knight bowed, "Forgive my outburst. It's just I don't believe he'll go back to a lab. The last one he was in, they tortured him, painful experiments, starved him to keep him compliant, the list goes on. He's still a human being; he deserves a chance at life! I mean he was ten when they started and…" The brunette trailed off, bowing a little deeper. He hadn't meant to raise his voice at the Second Prince.

Indigo orbs sparkled with amusement, "You really are quite passionate, Suzaku. Tell me, what do you plan to do with him if I allow him to stay."

"Well, I haven't really thought about it…"

"You're a Knight of the Round; you have other duties besides the Lancelot. Do you plan to just leave the boy in your room?" Schneizel smirked at the horrified look on the curly haired Knight's face.

"Of course not! He could… accompany me to school. I'm friends with the principal's granddaughter, I'm sure they would allow it."

There was a light 'humming' from the monitor as the Second Prince debated, leaving Suzaku to wait anxiously. After a few tense moments, the sound stopped, "I suppose I could allow it. It would be good for the boy, I'm sure."

A smile appeared on the brunette's face, hidden behind his hair as he bowed deeply, "Thank you, My Lord."

"Oh and Suzaku, do take care of him. I would hate to find I misplaced my trust."

"Yes, My Lord. I swear it." The Knight of Seven vanished as the screen went blank; Schneizel continued to smirk at the dark monitor.

"Are you sure that was a good idea? Wouldn't he be better off here?"

The Second Prince turned in his chair, finally addressing the other occupant of the room, "Why Kanon, don't you trust our dear Sir Kururugi?"

"It's not that. I just thought the boy was more valuable then to be left in the hands of a Knight." The pink haired man shook his head as he spoke.

Loud laughter caused blue eyes to focus on the blonde royal, "There are no better hands then those of Sir Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven. He has proven his worth, besides, no one would look for him in the Settlement." Kanon could only nod before Schneizel was on his feet and heading out the door.

0o0o0

_The dark haired child jerked awake at the sound of the door creaking open, a small hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. A blonde haired man, certainly not Dr. Hyogo, stood in the doorway, a wide smirk on his face as he tossed a tray of what looked like half eaten food on the floor, landing in front of Lelouch._

_The youth glared at the meal and jumping to his feet, kicked the tray back towards the other, "What is this? Why have you locked me in here? Release me right now!"_

_The elder only laughed, "You better eat up kid. You're gonna need your strength, though it seems you already have a lot of spunk." With that he turned and left the room, locking the door behind him._

_Lelouch huffed, turning angry violet spheres on his supposed 'meal' and with another glare at the door, dropped to the floor, sniffed a piece of bread before tearing off a large bite. Despite everything, he was too hungry not to eat what was given to him, even if it was someone else's leftovers._

_It was about thirty minutes later when someone returned to the room. When it turned out to be Dr. Hyogo, Lelouch couldn't stop himself from running up to the man and giving him a swift boot in the shin. It was a bad idea of course and he was rewarded with a sharp smack to the face that sent him flying to the floor._

_Dark eyes glared down into lavender, "You ungrateful little bastard." Lelouch was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and dragged, screaming from the room._

0o0o0_  
_

Suzaku flopped down onto the couch; his head leaning on the back, speaking with Schneizel had always been stressful. He draped an arm over his eyes, this time though seemed more so than usual and the brunette wasn't sure if the Second Prince was being difficult on purpose or was this boy more important than he was being led to believe.

Seven years, those people took seven years from Lelouch, altering him and changing his life forever and it left the brunette feeling sick at the thought. How could anyone be so cruel as to do that to someone, let alone a child? It made Suzaku wonder about the teen's family, it was clear to see he was Britannian, so how did a child of Britannia end up in an Eleven laboratory?

After a few minutes of contemplation, Suzaku got up and shuffled into the bedroom. He lived in a one bedroom apartment in a military complex, just like Gino and the other Knights of the Round who resided in the Tokyo Settlement. Thinking back on it now, the emerald eyed male had jumped the gun when he'd said he would take the boy in, only realizing this once he had gotten Lelouch home. Considering that the couch he owned didn't even pull out, there was nowhere for the teen to sleep but in his bed, leaving Suzaku himself to sleep on the small couch.

The dark haired half breed had had a thorough search of the apartment, sniffing every nook and cranny before finding the queen sized bed and deciding to have a nap. Suzaku had wanted to get the boy washed, in some new clothes and fed before sleeping on his clean sheets but Lelouch was, most likely, exhausted and it couldn't be helped.

The brunette took a seat on the edge of the bed, jade spheres tracing the lithe body curled into a tight ball. Bare legs were pulled close to his chest, his arms bent and crossed at the wrist, his head lying in the crook of one arm. During his sleep the large shirt had ridden up and Suzaku was glad to find a pair of black bikini briefs covering the boy's lower regions. His furry black ears were relaxed; turning a bit in the direction any sounds were made. The long silky tail was wrapped over a bare thigh, ending just on the male's side, the tip twitching periodically with his dreams.

_He couldn't move; he was strapped down, ankles, thighs, wrists, chest and even his head. The cold metal of the table seeped into his clothes, chilling him to the bone. He struggled violently even knowing it was a pointless waste of energy, but terrified, the adrenaline coursed through his veins and fueled his desperate attempts._

_A large bright light blinded violet eyes and he was forced to squint, leaving him unable to really see what was going on around him. There was chuckling next to his ear, a menacing voice letting him know that 'it wouldn't hurt too much.' Then a sharp prick to the base of his neck and what felt like molten lava flowing into his system. The burning feeling didn't last long as it settled into a warm numb that covered his entire body, leaving him very much aware but completely immobile._

_He realized then, when the glint from a metal tool, a razor sharp metal tool, passed under the spot light shining on his body, what these people planned to do to him. His mind screamed hysterically to get away, to escape, to just _move_ but only his piecing lavender pools darted to and fro. _

Suzaku found that the position looked quite uncomfortable but he wasn't half cat so he couldn't really say for sure. He had decided heading in, that he would wake the teen, feed him and get him cleaned up tonight instead of leaving it until morning. He figured the dark haired male would feel a hundred times better and be grateful even though he was obviously exhausted. The brown haired Knight reached a hand out, gently shaking the boy's shoulder but when that didn't rouse him; he pulled Lelouch by said shoulder until green eyes could see his sleeping face.

_He, thankfully, couldn't feel his body being sliced open but that didn't mean he couldn't see the bloodied scalpel as it was placed back on the tray just out of sight. He knew his breathing was erratic, close to hyperventilating but when a drop of blood, _his blood_, landed on his cheek, he went into autopilot. His body thrashed uncontrollably, saucer sized violet orbs glancing in every direction, hoping to find a way out._

Instead of seeing a peacefully slumbering face, he found it was contorted in agony. Dull lavender appeared suddenly from behind closed lids and before Suzaku could even think to move, a clawed hand whipped out, dragging sharpened nails down his cheek, a feral hiss filling the silence of the room. The Honorary Britannian was motionless; too shocked to even bring a hand up to inspect the bleeding wounds though he could feel the red liquid running slowly down his neck. Jade spheres watched the recognition return to dark violet and when those eyes caught sight of the blood; they went wide before the half feline scrambled backwards, falling off the bed and curling up in the nearest corner.

Suzaku wasn't sure what to think at first, his new 'roommate' had just attacked him, but looking at the trembling figure trying to blend in with the wall, told him he was missing a piece of the puzzle. Coming out of his shocked paralysis, the Knight brushed his fingers carefully over the fairly deep gashes in his cheek before calmly following the teen to the floor.

"…Lelouch." The brunette's voice was quiet and even.

He wanted to reach out to the boy and comfort him but had to remember that he was also part animal and a cornered animal was a dangerous animal. Lelouch didn't acknowledge his presence, not even a glance. Pale arms were held over the dark haired boy's head, obviously trying to protect himself from a beating that wasn't coming. Ever so gently, Suzaku took hold of the male's wrists, moving the resisting arms away, so jade orbs could see his face.

A soft smile crossed the curly haired teen's features, his hold on the other loosening until he was sure he could let go without fear that the boy would either run or attack. His tanned hand brushed ebony strands from lavender eyes, Lelouch flinching in response. Suzaku frowned mentally, not wanting to scare the smaller male with it, how could he still not be trusted after everything he'd done so far? Then again, the brunette didn't know the extent of the abuse and needed to be patient with him. Weaving his fingers gently through the soft but dirty locks, Suzaku slowly coaxed the other teen away from the wall.

Keeping his voice hushed, he murmured soothing reassurances and when the black haired boy's trembling stopped was when he spoke again, "Are you alright now? Did you have a nightmare? I'm sorry I scared you."

Dark violet regarded him, nodding once then blinking slowly, tilted his head to the side, "Ku."

The feel of drying blood on his skin drew his attention and Suzaku grimaced at the thought, turning to reach into his bedside table. All thought stopped when he felt something that could only be described as warm, wet, roughness running along the gashes in his cheek. Jade spheres glanced over just as Lelouch's tongue peeked out for another swipe and the curly haired male realized he was trying to clean the wounds.

With a gentle smile, the green eyed Knight pulled away from the touch, "How about you let me take care of it?"

Suzaku climbed to his feet, making sure the ebony haired teen was following before heading to the bathroom. On the way out, he grabbed a pair of swim trunks for himself and some clean clothes for Lelouch, figuring while they were in there; he might as well give the hybrid a bath.

0o0o0

Both males exited the bathroom sopping wet; a large towel was wrapped tightly around Lelouch's form while a smaller one was draped over his head. Suzaku was no better off; the swim suit he had worn was leaving a trail of water all the way to his room, the towel he had used was just as soaked as the rest of him. The clothes he had originally brought in for the boy to wear, had somehow ended up in the tub with him and the brunette hadn't even thought to bring in clothes for himself, so now he was dripping water through his apartment to grab new clothes for the two of them.

It hadn't occurred to Suzaku beforehand that the feline part of Lelouch was more prominent then his human side or the fact that cats hated water, with a passion it seemed. Meaning there was a struggling match between the two and only once both boys were drenched did the ebony haired teen calm down enough to wash. The tub had to be refilled before they could start, since most of the water was now a giant puddle on the linoleum and again for the rinse. The dirt and grime removed from the half breed's skin was disgusting and quite disturbing, had the male not had a bath in the seven years of captivity?

Once Suzaku had them both dried and dressed, he led the other into the kitchen, wondering what in the world does someone feed a human hybrid. Searching through the fridge and cupboards, he finally decided on some tuna, something both sides of Lelouch could like. Pushing the violet eyed male into a chair at the table, the brunette got to work and quickly had a tuna sandwich and glass of water placed in front of the boy. Sitting across from Lelouch, emerald spheres watched intently as his meal was sniffed and poked before being brought to a fanged mouth and devoured like he hadn't eaten in months, and knowing what the other had been through, Suzaku wouldn't have been at all surprised.

"Was it good?" Suzaku smiled as his question was rewarded with an approving mewl.

The feline hybrid jumped from his seat, leaving the glass of water untouched and headed toward the living room. The curly haired Knight gathered the dishes and left them in the sink to be cleaned later. It was late and both he and his new roommate needed sleep. When he reached the main room, Suzaku found Lelouch curled on the couch fast asleep and instead of waking the boy to move him, just draped the blanket from the back of the couch over the sleeping figure. With a small smile and one last look at the ebony haired teen, the brunette made his way to bed, knowing exactly what kind of day awaited them tomorrow.

* * *

Finally chapter two... sorry to everyone who waited patiently for this and thanks for continuing to read and support my story.

Criticism is always welcome. Reviews make me smile :)


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